Canon
EOS R3 2021
Best for Sports & photojournalism professionals
£4999
new today at Clifton Cameras
Decision tools · Compare
EOS R3 vs Z9
Quick take: The Z9 has the highest resolution at 46MP; the Z9 is the most affordable.
16 specs side by side·15 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Verdictwhich should you buy?
EOS R3 — Sports & Photojournalism Professionals: The pinnacle of Canon's mirrorless lineup for speed — Eye Control AF and 30fps burst in the most rugged body Canon has ever produced.
Z9 — Professional Sports & Wildlife: The Z9 redefined what professional mirrorless could be — no mechanical shutter, 45MP stacked BSI, and 8K RAW in the most rugged Z body.
Who should buy what
EOS R3 (2021)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional sports and photojournalism photographers
- Canon users who need the fastest burst and most reliable AF in the system
- R5 users who want a pro-grade grip and faster shooting speed
- Event photographers who need eye-controlled AF and dual card slots
Z9 (2021)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional sports, wildlife and photojournalism photographers
- Nikon D6 or D850 users making the final switch to mirrorless
- Those who need the fastest, most reliable AF Nikon has ever made
- Professionals who need a flagship body with no mechanical shutter
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | EOS R3Canon · 2021 | Z9Nikon · 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,999Best | £4,999Best |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 45.7MPBest |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS | 6-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanicalBest | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | 740 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 1015g (body only)Best | 1340g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
EOS R3
Z9
Portrait
8.1/10
8.2/10
Street
5.8/10
5.0/10
Travel
5.7/10
5.0/10
Wedding & Events
8.2/10
8.4/10
Vlogging & Video
5.4/10
—
Filmmaking
8.1/10
7.9/10
Documentary
7.8/10
7.6/10
Sports & Action
8.9/10
9.2/10
Landscape
6.3/10
6.7/10
Wildlife
8.7/10
8.9/10
Casual
4.6/10
4.0/10
Food
7.4/10
6.9/10
Macro
7.2/10
6.6/10
Architecture
6.5/10
6.8/10
Astrophotography
6.7/10
7.2/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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